Thursday, August 23

On what would have been Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday, and
launching a bank-holiday Bernstein weekend at the Proms, John Wilson
returns to conduct his second Bernstein musical of the season: On the Town whichfollows
the adventures of three sailors (Gabey, Chip and Ozzie) on shore leave in New York City determined to see the sights, and meet three women.The show opened on Broadway in 1944 with classic songs including New York, New York; Come Up To My Place and Some Other Time. A 1949 film version starred Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin

The concert is being televised live from the Royal Albert Hall on BBC4 on Saturday 25th August at 19:30 with Katie Derham presenting and special guest Clarke Peters, it fetaures a star-studded line-up of singersincluding Nathaniel Hackmann as Gabey and Louise Dearman as Hildy, while Fra Fee who, alongside Nathaniel Hackmann, rose to prominence through his role in, takes on the role of ‘Chip’.

In addition, West End Phantom of the Opera stars Celinde Schoenmaker and Nadim Naaman take on the respective roles of ‘Claire’ and ‘Ozzie’. ArtsEd graduateSiena Kelly continues on from the Open Air Theatre production of On the Town in the role as ‘Ivy Smith’, and fellow
Phantom alumnus Claire Moore portrays ‘Madame Dilly’. Bass and former English National Opera Harewood Artist
Barnaby Rea will play ‘First Workman/Judge Pitkin’.

Veteran actor and voice artist Kerry Shale will narrate the production. His body of work spans decades, including prominent roles in films such as
Little Shop of Horrors, Yentl and the upcoming AngelHas Fallen, as well as a wealth of roles for the BBC including radio plays
Dr. Strangelove and AConfederacy of Dunces and television voice roles in
Dr. Who, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Thomas and Friends.